Recently, computers have been widely utilized in various fields, and not only development of the software itself but also license management for the software, is important when the software maker issues the software to the user or after issuance of the software.
In general, the software have been developed by the software maker, and have been used by the user who has a hardware (computer) based on a predetermined license contract. After the software was supplied to the user, the software maker performs the license management, i.e., checks as to whether the software is used properly based on the predetermined license contract.
Conventionally, there are mainly two types of license contracts, i.e., a floating-license system and a node-lock license system. In the former, the number of the licenses are decreased one by one for every start of the software, and are increased one by one for every termination thereof. In the latter, the hardware to be used is fixed in the user side, and the software maker issues the license at a predetermined constant price regardless the number of the software.
Further, in the former, when the user wants to operate a plurality of workstations (for example, 10) by using the same software, the software maker issues a license contract to the user at the price of ten licenses.
According to the former, the software maker has an advantage in which he can set a high unit price of the software. Furthermore, the user also has an advantage of flexibility in use of the software since he can optionally change the number of the hardware to be used.
On the other hand, in the latter, the hardware to be used in the user is fixed, and the software maker issues the license contract in a predetermined constant price regardless the number of the software and performance of the software.
According to the latter, the user has an advantage in which he can set a low unit price of the software. However, since the hardware to be used is fixed, there is no flexibility in use of the software. Further, since all the software is handled by only one hardware, there is a problem in which the whole throughput of the system becomes worse.
As explained above, there are various problems for both software maker and the user in the conventional license system. Particularly, there is a problem in which the software maker cannot issue a license, as to which sales strategy was considered. Accordingly, the software maker has always searched for and developed an optimum license management in order to supply the software, which have been developed at large expense, to the user, at a suitable price.